While most European countries remain on frosty terms with Russia since the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a handful have retained varying degrees of positive diplomatic relations.
Turkey won't support a peace plan that involves freezing the war in Ukraine and Kyiv making territorial concessions to Moscow, Ukrinform reported on Nov. 29, citing Ukrainian lawmaker Ahtem Chiygoz.
Turkey is in talks with the United States in an effort to receive a sanctions waiver to further continue payments for Russian natural gas imports, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said on Nov. 25.
"The option of freezing the line of military conflict is unacceptable for the Russian side," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in comments reported by Interfax.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will propose his own peace plan for Ukraine during the G20 talks commencing on Nov. 18, Bloomberg reported, citing undisclosed sources.
The European Union’s anti-fraud agency opened an investigation into the possible exporting of rebranded Russian oil via Turkey into the EU, Politico reported on Nov. 5, citing two undisclosed sources.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said this "cannot but cause surprise," given the Turkish leadership's statements about its readiness to mediate between Ukraine and Russia.
Turkey has quietly blocked the export of U.S.-origin military goods to Russia following a warning from Washington, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Oct. 22.
Key developments on Aug. 2: * Ukraine's second Ada-class corvette launched in Turkey * Occupied Crimea hit by Ukrainian missile attack, Russia claims * China claims its Ukraine peace plan has support of more than 110 countries * 'Signs of escalation' on battlefield in Kharkiv sector, Ukraine's military says * Russia exaggerating numbers of contract
Turkey ratified an agreement on a free trade zone with Ukraine on Aug. 2, more than two years after the agreement was originally signed.
Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi will make its maiden voyage in 2026 and be officially handed over to Ukraine in the first quarter of 2027, the Turkish shipbuilding company STM said.
To appreciate the booming Russian fossil fuels trade, one need only go to a rooftop cafe along the Bosporus. Back in March, while sipping tea on an Istanbul terrace, I watched as, over the course of two hours, at least four tankers – later identified through open-source marine traffic websites – carried
"A peace platform that will prevent deepening polarization, has high participation and representation, and prioritizes diplomacy should be established," he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on July 4 that the alleged peace plan proposal drafted during negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow in 2022 in Istanbul, could be the basis for a "settlement" of a Russia's full-scale war, the Kremlin-controlled TASS news agency wrote.
At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Kazakhstan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan proposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Turkey could help mediate an end to the war.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Kazakhstan on July 3 for regional security and defense discussions, according to the Kremlin. He is also set to hold a series of bilateral meetings with leaders from China and Turkey.
Under the Turkish-led deal, the three countries will oversee efforts to clear mines that have been drifting in the Black Sea since the start of Russia's all-out war. Other NATO members are not involved in the initiative.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called the talks "a glimmer of hope to start with" but said they "could have been more result-oriented" if Russia had attended.
A meeting between Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko and Turkish Ambassador Mustafa Levent Bilgen was held to address the consequences of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy systems.
Ruslan Stefanchuk, chairman of Ukraine's parliament, is in Turkey on an official visit from May 13 to 15.
Turkey is in talks with ExxonMobil to secure a long-term liquified natural gas (LNG) deal worth billions of dollars, aiming to diversify its energy sources, says Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar. The potential agreement could provide up to 2.5 million tons of LNG annually for 10 years.
Turkish Ombudsman Seref Malkoc is planning to visit Ukrainian prisoners of war who have been held in Russia, he said in an interview to Ukrinform on April 5.
Turkish machinery exporters, who benefited from the surge in sales to Russia last year, may see their revenues drop by $1 billion in 2024 due to "ambiguous" sanctions, Bloomberg said, citing Kutlu Karavelioglu, the chairperson of the Machinery Exporters' Association.
The EU has banned the Turkish airline Southwind from flying in its airspace due to links with Russia, Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet reported on March 30.
The U.S. is negotiating to increase purchases of explosives from Turkey to boost the production of artillery shells amid allies' efforts to provide Ukraine with ammunition, Bloomberg reported on March 27, citing unnamed officials familiar with the matter.
Banks in China, the UAE, and Turkey have boosted sanctions compliance leading to Russian oil firms facing months of delays in receiving payments, Reuters reported on March 27. In some cases, money transfers to Moscow have been rejected entirely, several sources familiar with the matter told the outlet.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey is ready to host a peace summit between Ukraine and Russia after the meeting with his counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on March 8 in Istanbul.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Turkish Trade Minister Omer Bolat signed the document after the meeting of President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on March 8.
Key developments on March 8: * Zelensky arrives in Turkey, meets Erdogan * French defense minister says no plans to deploy combat troops in Ukraine * India identifies 'major human trafficking network' luring Indians to fight for Russia in Ukraine * Governor: Russian drone attacks car in Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, kills 2 * Czech
President Volodymyr Zelensky passed to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan the list of Ukrainian citizens, including Crimean Tatars, captured by Russia after their meeting on March 8 in Istanbul.
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Turkey on March 8 to meet his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Zelensky is also expected to visit the shipyard where corvettes for the Ukrainian Navy are being built and meet with representatives of Turkish defense companies.
President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on March 8 in Turkey, the Turkish Presidency said on X. The two leaders will discuss Russia’s war, the Black Sea grain deal, and bilateral relations, according to the announcement.
(Updated: )
